Day 6: Fasting As Jesus Did – Pastor Aaron Hoogerwerf
But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)
When we fast, we intentionally make time for devoting ourselves to seeking God and asking Him to help us work through the temptations and distractions that come from our desire to satisfy our bodies with food. Fasting is an important spiritual discipline because it helps us to focus our desires on what God wants. We see this born out in Matthew 4:1-11 as Jesus went into the wilderness to fast for forty days and nights and to be tempted by satan. Jesus was tempted by satan in many ways, but every time satan challenged Him, He always responded with scripture and rebuked satan for misusing scripture to further his sinful agenda (vv. 4, 6, 7, and 10).
Jesus quoted the verse in Deuteronomy 8:3 when He said “…Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (4:4) This is a great lesson from our Lord and a reminder for each of us when we are tempted and going through spiritual battles that it is God’s word that truly sustains us – not food or anything else that tempts our flesh.
Jesus demonstrated that fasting can strengthen us spiritually when we use it to draw closer to God, so during this time of fasting, center your hearts and minds on God and as you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you (James 4:8).
Pastor Aaron
